At a glance
The short version
- Game
- Crimson Desert Enhanced
- Guide type
- DLC & Advanced
- Read time
- 6 min read
- Last updated
- Nov 9, 2026
Quick answer
Get an eligible NPC to 100 Trust, flirt with them to 100 on the second gauge, finish their questline if they have one, and propose, provided you own a residence.
Guide details
System: romance and marriage, in the Charting the Unknown DLC (October 29, 2026).
Step 1: raise Trust to
100. Step 2: raise the Flirt gauge to
100. Step 3: propose.
Check eligibility: a heart icon beside the Trust gauge means the NPC can be romanced.
Witches: Elowen, Bari, Lyselia (5 quests each), Areciel (4 quests). Only Kliff can marry them.
Marriage needs: both gauges at 100, questline done, and a residence you own.
Rule: court as many NPCs as you like, but marry only one at a time.
Quick answer
Yes, you can marry in Crimson Desert, but only through the DLC romance system. Find an NPC with a heart icon beside their Trust gauge, raise their Trust to 100 through greetings, chats, gifts, and quests, then choose Flirt and raise the second gauge to 100 the same way. For the four witches, first finish their questlines. Then, if you own a residence, the Propose option unlocks and a wedding cutscene plays. Never flirt before Trust hits 100: each early attempt costs 10 Trust.
How romance works: Trust, then Flirt
Not every NPC can be romanced. Interact with an NPC and look at the top right of the screen: a person-with-a-heart icon beside the Trust gauge means they are eligible, and a crossed-out heart means they are not. Greymanes and honorary Greymanes are never eligible; recruiting someone into your camp locks their romance out, so do not recruit a character you intend to court.
Raise Trust to 100 first, with Greet, Chat, and Gift interactions, plus quests. Each interaction type can be used once per day per NPC.
Do not flirt early. Flirting before Trust hits 100 costs 10 Trust per attempt, according to Game8.
At 100 Trust, choose Flirt. A second gauge appears that looks like the Trust gauge; raise it to 100 as well.
Then confess your feelings and, for witches, finish their questline. The Propose option unlocks after that.
Keep one protagonist on the relationship. Flirting with an NPC as Kliff lowers that NPC’s Trust toward Oongka and Damiane, and vice versa, so switching characters mid-courtship sets you back. Pick the protagonist who will do the proposing and stay with them for the whole route.
The four witches
The witches are the only fully fleshed-out romance options, and their routes are the longest in the system. Each witch has a questline under her own name plus Sanctum quests, and the quest counts below are confirmed by three guides (Game8, KeenGamer, and ShowGamer): five quests each for Elowen, Bari, and Lyselia, and four for Areciel. Their romance sidequests arrive as Faction Quests, and only Kliff receives them: Oongka and Damiane can still court the witches and reach 100 Trust, but they cannot marry them.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Witch | Location | Questline |
|---|---|---|
Elowen, Witch of Wisdom | The Witchwoods, Hernand | The Witch of Wisdom: 5 quests, then 100 Trust twice, then propose. |
Bari, Witch of Kindness | Crimson Lake, Pailune | The Witch of Kindness: 5 quests, then 100 Trust twice, then propose. |
Lyselia, Witch of Humility | Serpent Marsh, between Demeniss and Delesyia | The Witch of Humility: 5 quests, then 100 Trust twice, then propose. |
Areciel, Witch of Strength | West of the World’s Navel, Crimson Desert | The Witch of Strength: 4 quests, then 100 Trust twice, then propose. |
Marriage: requirements and what changes
Marriage has one hard requirement that surprises people: you must own a residence. No residence, no proposal, even with both gauges at
100. Once you propose, a wedding cutscene plays. Marriage unlocks new interactions afterward, including traveling together, sharing the residence, receiving gifts, and changing your spouse’s appearance, according to KeenGamer’s guide. You can romance several NPCs at once, but you can only marry one at a time; divorce is possible, though the full consequences of ending a marriage are still unclear according to gamer.org.
Ordinary NPCs follow the same two-gauge route without a questline: merchants, craftspeople, orcs, and other residents are eligible wherever the heart icon shows. Same-sex relationships are supported, and the three protagonists cannot marry one another.
Raising Trust faster
Trust gain can be boosted with gear: Game8 names the Solidarity Abyss Gear and the Rabbit Leather Mask as items that increase the amount of Trust gained, which shortens both the Trust phase and the Flirt phase. Beyond that, the fastest honest route is routine: one Greet, one Chat, and one Gift per NPC per day, plus any quest that NPC offers, without ever flirting early and eating the 10-point penalty.
Frequently asked questions
Can I romance more than one NPC?
Yes. You can court and build Trust with as many eligible candidates as you like at the same time. You can only marry one NPC at a time, however.
Can Oongka or Damiane marry a witch?
No. The witch romance sidequests are Kliff-only Faction Quests, and marriage to a witch is exclusive to Kliff. Oongka and Damiane can romance witches up to 100 Trust, but cannot propose to them.
What happens if I flirt too early?
Each early flirt attempt costs 10 Trust. Wait until the NPC is at 100 Trust, then choose Flirt.
Do I need a house to get married?
Yes. You must own a residence before the Propose option appears, even with both gauges at 100.